Showdown

One day a stranger walks into the tiny town of Paradise, Colorado. Marsuvees Black claims to be a preacher, but his odd miracles have the townspeople wondering whether he’s a con artist or an angel from God. He promises grace and hope and the freedom to explore both good and evil.

Johnny Drake knows something’s wrong. As more and more people fall under Black’s spell, including his own mother, there seems little a young teen can do about it. No one listens. And soon everyone begins acting strange.

In the mountains, another conflict is raging in a secluded monastery. Thirty-seven children have been shut off from the outside world since infancy and given exceptional training. Everything has run smoothly until the day one boy enters the forbidden tunnels underneath the monastery, unknowingly unleashing a battle between good and evil.

The showdown has begun.

Weaving vivid word pictures with incredible themes, Ted Dekker has created yet another outstanding novel. Expertly drawn characters aid the thickening plot. Though the graphic description may turn off younger and more squeamish readers, all elements combine to make an unforgettable mind-bending story. Fans of Dekker’s Circle Trilogy will enjoy tie-ins that answer some questions while generating more. A powerful tale for older teens and adults. -- Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com

Book Jacket:

It begins on a lazy summer day in a small, secluded mountain town named Paradise. But in Paradise, nothing is as it seems.

When a stranger named Marsuvees Black appears and announces he's come to bring hope and grace to Paradise, the town isn't sure how to respond. He offers dazzling love, hope, faith, and fun . . . the kind of fun everyone desires but is too timid to pursue. He knows the unspoken secrets of each person's heart--and has the power to grant them.

Tucked deep in the nearby canyons is a monastery long hidden from the world. Within its walls is power beyond comprehension. Yet that power is quickly slipping out of control.

As dark clouds and sandstorms shut Paradise off from the rest of the world, the unthinkable happens.